[2020 National Audit] "Designate Hunminjeongeum as National Treasure No. 1 Instead of Japan-Designated Sungnyemun"

Assemblyman Jeon Yong-gi Submits Petition to the National Assembly with Cultural Heritage Restoration and Korean Language Culture Movement Council

Jeon Yong-gi, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is questioning at the plenary meeting of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] On the 8th, Jeon Yong-gi, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, submitted a petition to the National Assembly requesting that the Hunminjeongeum Haerye be designated as National Treasure No. 1 instead of Sungnyemun.

In the petition submitted together with organizations such as Cultural Heritage Repatriation Movement and the Korean Language Culture Movement Practice Council, Representative Jeon stated, "It is inappropriate for Sungnyemun, designated as National Treasure No. 1 by the Japanese colonial government’s Governor-General of Korea, to remain as National Treasure No. 1," and added, "The Hunminjeongeum Haerye, which embodies the spirit and soul of our history, is appropriate to be National Treasure No. 1."

Sungnyemun was designated as National Treasure No. 1 by the Governor-General of Korea in 1934 and was re-designated by our government in 1962. According to Representative Jeon, a survey conducted jointly by Cultural Heritage Repatriation Movement and Our Culture Keepers in 2015 showed that 64.2% of all respondents answered that Hunminjeongeum should be National Treasure No. 1 rather than Sungnyemun.

The petition submitted on this day will go through a review of requirements by the National Assembly Secretariat, after which the relevant standing committee will decide whether to submit it to the plenary session of the National Assembly.